Economist
Holley Ulbrich predicts a financial hit for South Carolina if a marriage amendment passes; local AmTaliban
Oran Smith of the Palmetto Family Council says it is needed for, among other things,
containing male sexuality. (?!)I get quite a bit of mail at
my blog, and every once in a while I get a great one that ties into some of the stories I post about. For a little background, South Carolina, like many other bible belt states, is in the process of considering a bigoted marriage amendment (
so is NC). Last week, the SC proposal went to the Senate Judiciary Committee and a public hearing was held. First, the MSM coverage after the jump, then the
real story from a reader that took action...
(
The State):
A House bill that would let voters decide next year whether the state Constitution should be changed to bar same-sex unions headed to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Two senators on opposite sides of the legislation told a crowd of nearly 100 opponents that they need to face the reality that the issue will be on the ballot in November 2006 and devote themselves to fighting the amendment then.
The amendment says marriage is "exclusively defined as a union between one man and one woman" and all other unions are void. State law already says that, but supporters say a judge could strike that down and open the door to gay unions here.
Clemson economist Holley Ulbrich told the panel that during a more than four-hour public hearing that the state will lose money, talent and opportunity if it gains the reputation of being less tolerant. A study showed a 1993 policies toward gays Cincinnati adopted in 1993 cost that city $46 million in convention business alone, Ulbrich said. "Passing the amendment has an effect on how South Carolina is perceived," Ulbrich says.
Opponents said gay marriages upend tradition and undermine heterosexual unions. "Marriage is always heterosexual" and is a way of protecting women from exploitive males, containing male sexuality and aggression and giving children the best opportunity to thrive , said Oran Smith, president of the Palmetto Family Council. "There is no public need for a same-sex family," Smith said.
OK. Nothing unusual about the story. However, we have the inside scoop. Here is a first-hand account of
what really went on in the South Carolina State House from House Blender
Trixie Trash.
Hello Pam dah-ling,
On Tuesday a small group of gays and supporters (dressed in black) were at a SC Senate Sub-committee hearing. The gay marriage bill had been hijacked out of committee and was being pushed thru before it had a public hearing by
Senator John D. Hawkins (Spartanburg).
We sat and listened in awe as our elected officials bickered their way though seven other bills before they got to ours. When they did, several of us put black tape over our mouths to signify that we had been silenced. This added a bondage element to our look. It sort of freaked out the Sins... I mean Sens. Some of them turned their chairs around so they wouldn't have to look at us.
South Carolina State Senators on the spot: John D. Hawkins held the public hearing; Luke Rankin: "I say we give them a fair trial and then hang them." (gays).
They said many stupid things but we expected that...but not this:
Sen. [Luke] Rankin said "
I don't care how much we talk about this issue. My mind is made up. I know how I'm going to vote and so do the rest of you. However, I feel it is wrong to railroad over these people. They deserve the right to speak and be heard. I say we give them a fair trial and then hang them."
Well, that sound bite made the news and has Sen. Rankin has been backpedaling on his "rank" comment.
On Thursday, about 150 gays and supports, dressed in black and wearing pink cloth triangles were inside the lobby of the Statehouse to talk to our senators. I was standing next to a big gay man whom I didn't know but who had just given me a big gay hug. Well, along comes some senator and this guy stopped him...
Big Guy: Excuse me Senator, I'd like to speak with you about this bill.
Sen. ?: I not voting for that, I mean, I'm voting against gay marriage.
BG: That's very sad. May I ask why?
Sen. ?:
There is a book that was written over 2000 years ago that says If a man lay down with another man it is an abomination....
I just couldn't hold it any longer.ME: Excuse me... but did you just say you were going to use Biblical scripture to shape Public law.... haven't you heard of separation of church and state.
Sen.?: Yes, and I'm going to vote against...
ME: (raising my voice to a small shout) T
hat's because you're a bigot! A Hateful, Hateful bigot. Hateful! Bigot! Just a Hateful Bigot!Sen.?: You better get out of my face.
ME: I hope one day your grandchildren have to live under and be hurt by the laws you help pass. You Hateful, Hateful Bigot!
At this point, a security person stepped between me and the senator and hustled him into the Senate. No one said a word to me. I think it is because I was surrounded by lots of people dressed in black with pink triangles. Truthfully, between you and me, I'm probally not the best person to be speaking to Senators, politely speaking that is.
Later we all attended a hastily scheduled hearing with four senators. Two for us and two for them. Because of Senate "decorum" we were told that we couldn't "whoop, yell out anything, clap, etc...". It was so hard because there were soooooo many gays with so many opportunities for zingers. At one time one of the speakers for the other side used the phrase "
scary, exhilarating lesbians". That really should be a T-shirt.
However our side did have a wonderful "Baptist minister" (I was shocked) who told the sense to say that if Jesus were here today that he probably wouldn't be hanging out with the politicians. Jesus would be at the soup kitchens, with AIDS patients, in the bars, helping people.
John M. "Jake" Knotts, Jr. ( Lexington) asked the reverend if he was saying Jesus was a redneck. The minister said "well... yes,
Jesus probably had a little redneck in him.
All in all it was quite a day.
It's nice to have something to compare to the vanilla media coverage that this sort of event usually generates. Thanks Trixie, for shining the light on your friendly neighborhood elected homophobes. My question is whether any of them are thinking enough to hear the Clemson economist's predictions of significant lost revenue by writing intolerance into the state's Constitution.
BTW, the contact page for members of the SC Senate:
SC State House
Pam's House Blend